suggest a calibre for Wild Boar?

Thanks ! Glad to hear you saying good things about my fellow citizen ! I've had only very good experience with englishmen so far, but in textile industry.
Now, to be on-topic, I think I'll go for a 9,3x62. Good caliber and I can get quality ammo for it. But I'll choose a semiautomatic rifle, since I'll go only on pushing hunts.
In Hungary, I think it's legal to hunt them at night too and the pigs are hunted all year, in Romania only from 15 august untill 15 february.
 
In-laws in Germany use 308 Winchester and similar calibres.

One double gun they have is an 8x57 doubled with a 12 gauge barrel they load with a slug.

A tip on the bait: they bury raw vegetables like old potatoes, sugar beets and carrots but seal molasses laden oat and corn kernels (commercial pig or horse feed?) in small beer barrels with holes in them just big enough for the boars to roll the chained up barrel around to roll the corn and oats out.

They hunt from elevated stands or little huts with shooting windows.
 
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Boar guns and Bait

I have shot several in Germany and France, used mostly a 30-06 with 180's, but also shot 2 with a 243 with 100gr Norma RN...they all worked well, but shot placement, like with anything is key. I hit a running sow at 70 yards too far back(30-06) and shot it thru the kidney's ... It took 4 hours with a hound to push it around in order to get another shot and harvest the critter, and it was only about 80lbs. Very bullet resistant and tough. To knock em down to stay down, shoot through the shoulders, or at least try to break one, otherwise, the normal through the lung shot works great, but they will run on the shot.
As for bait...dig a hole in the ground and put in a couple of cups of cracked, or kernal corn. They love this, and can smell it from a long way. This keeps the pigs around, and they must dig and root to get at the food. Allowing time for a well placed shot from the hi-seat. We found anything else, they would just grab and run to cover. In Germany, you can hunt them all year, day or night and all ###es and ages, however, there is an un-written rule amongst hunters to try and save the females and only shoot males. Easier from a tower,(hence the bait) does not apply on drive hunts.
 
I expect we'll bait close to a high seat maybe about 50 yards maximum. We'll use something heavy .308 150 gn minimum.
 
If the Limey hog is anything like the Ozzy ferals..you want the largest meanest piece of hardware you can shoot.

I used a Winy 1886 with 500gr handloads for open country and 12ga slugs for tall grass. them there critters have tough hides and even tougher foreheads.

And yes.there are some Ozzies that hunt them with dogs and pig stickers.:50cal:
 
MD said:
A tip on the bait: they bury raw vegetables like old potatoes, sugar beets and carrots but seal molasses laden oat and corn kernels (commercial pig or horse feed?) in small beer barrels with holes in them just big enough for the boars to roll the chained up barrel around to roll the corn and oats out.

A lot of clients' black bears are killed annually over bait. The outfitter maintains a number of baits and watches for the most active ones. The client is placed over the best ones. Baiting might seem unsporting to some of the softminded people who share our oxygen, but it allows the hunter complete control over which animal to shoot and where to place the shot.

SOP is to put the bait (rotten apples, day old donuts, sugary paistry leftovers, etc) in a closed 55gal drum with holes. Tie the barrel to deadfalls or trees with 1/2" cable so the bear can't drag it out of sight. The food will concentrate his attention and he will stay long enough to make a shoot/no shoot decision. Besides, it will be easy to clean up and not "despoil" the neighbourhood. But that is how you bait bears, boars will be another story.
 
If its going to be close and on the ground definately 30cal and bigger and no scopes over 2.5X, and nothing under 200grains I would say(just to get velocity down so it doesn't blow up and maximum effect). Tree stand... well whatever makes it to the other side... if its a .243 with tsx's than have at it I think.
 
:dancingbanana: This is what I found on entering the wood on Sunday, the size indicates Muntjac as it is too early to have kids.
ArrseRiflesatBisley003.jpg

A walk through the woods brought me too this treat!
ArrseRiflesatBisley041.jpg

I may get back there this weekend to put up a high seat or check where I have pasted salz paste and laid monkey nuts:dancingbanana: .
 
Had to add to this TimC...I used an Ithaca M37 Deerslayer Police Special, 4 shot model, and Brenneke Classic Rottwielle 2 3/4 (70mm) 12 gauge this past weekend in Saskatchewan.
Mine has the LAPD style "wedge" rearsight, and the red triangular acrylic front sight on the 20 inch barrel.
At 75 yards I double lunged him (100lb young boar) and had complete penetration. Not even a typical pig squeal out of him!!! I could have used Wichester 1 ounce foster style for 90% of the pigs on a 120 acre ranch, but there were about a half dozen +220 pounders in the crowd, that I felt I needed a better/harder slug, just in case of close encounters......

Good luck to you TimC!
 
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Well, here in Kitchener, Southern Ontario, they hunt them down on the road with 1.6 litre Honda Civics!! One was found dead and frozen in a ditch just south of where I live. I guy I was conversing with in Texes uses a 338 lapua mag and shoots them at 1000 yrds.
 
Cheers fellas, hunting going strong, Fallow bucks open till the end of this month then bak to Roe bucks!
 
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